Lovers' Jig
by T2 Angel
Summary: Just seven months after his final assault on the Red Dragons and his last confrontation with Vicious, Spike is up and around, despite being injured. Faye... has a slight issue with that. One-shot. Sequel to "I Am."


**A/N: Hey, guys! I hope you enjoy this!**

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The _Bebop_ was quiet today. It had been since Spike's return and, truthfully, it wasn't all bad. Even with Spike and Faye admitting they were a couple, life wasn't that different. Seven months had passed since Spike's suicide mission against the Red Dragons including three months since he left the hospital. The doctors told him that he had to take it easy for a good while since, despite all other past near death experiences, this one was the most devastating to his system and would take the longest recovery time, especially since it took the paramedics such a long time to get to him. So, it surprised Jet to know end to walk out of his bonsai room to find Spike practicing his Jeet Kune Do in the living room.

"Uh…" the _Bebop_ captain said, concerned. "Spike?"

"Yeah?" the green haired man asked, performing another kick.

"Should… you be doing that?"

"I dunno. Why can't I?"

"'Cause the doctor said to take it easy for a few months."

"A few months too long, if you ask me."

"But…"

"Gimme a break, Jet. We both know I can take a lot of punishment and keep going. Done it before."

"Yeah but this was different from all of those other times."

"Not really. Besides, hard part of the recovery's over."

"Okay, maybe. But, what about Faye?"

"What about her?"

"Won't she be mad at your training?"

"Oh, come on. She won't get _that_ mad. Plus, I just won't tell her." He went for another series of strikes.

"Well, you better hope she doesn't find out because, when she catches you, she's gonna…"

Just then, the door leading from the hangar area to the living room opened and Faye walked through, carrying bags of groceries. She stopped upon seeing her boyfriend holding his foot in the air as the result of a kick.

The purple haired woman started growling. Her body started shaking with rage. "Are you freaking KIDDING ME?!"

"Uh-oh…" Jet breathed out.

Spike chuckled. He lowered his foot. "Oh, hey… you're back…"

She stomped down the stairs, completely ignoring Jet except to slam the groceries into his arms as though he were some sort of baggage rack. She got right in Spike's face, yelling, "You've got to be the biggest dumbass on any planet!"

He started rubbing the back of his head, nervously. "I… didn't know you you'd be back so soon."

"Yeah, I'll bet! You stupid, moronic jerk! The doctors tell you to take it easy, Jet tells you take it easy, and, most importantly, _I_ tell you take it easy and what do you do? TRY TO REOPEN YOUR WOUNDS SO YOU CAN GO RIGHT BACK IN THE ER! Well, guess what? I'M NOT GOING TO BE SITTING BY YOUR BED LIKE A WAILING WIDOW THIS TIME!"

Spike hated it when she yelled at him. He growled, "No one ask you do it the first time!"

"Oh, yes, you did! Every single time you go off to die, you tell me all about it! It's like you want to me to cry over you, you dimwitted, green haired, blue suited dumbass!"

Jet chuckled. "Ah, young love."

"CLAM IT, JET!"

Chuckling, the former police officer gave a shrug of defense followed by him slowly backing away then heading for the kitchen to put the groceries away, leaving the lovers to duke it out amongst themselves. He knew that it was just another day for them but, still, he wanted to give them their privacy and he really didn't want to hear it anyway. He had better things to do. When it came to them arguing, almost anything qualified as something better.

"Now, back to you, MORON!" Faye screamed at Spike.

"Will you stop screaming at me?!" He grabbed his ears. "I still get high pitched ringing from all the explosions at the tower!"

"What? Do you want sympathy?!" Faye shouted. "THAT WAS YOUR FAULT, TOO!"

"I know! I was there!"

"And you didn't learn a damn thing!"

"Says who?!"

"You're training, you damned moron! For what?! It's not like you can get any bounties right now! So, what's the point? Training for another fight with your ghosts! With your past?! Do you just wanna leave again and go get yourself killed?! Fine! But don't expect me to wait for you this time or go after you and save your skinny ass!"

"Will you stop yelling?!"

"Fine! I won't yell! I won't tell you a thing! Do what you want! End up in a grave!"

"Why are you so mad at me?!"

"Because you're not even fully healed and you want to go out somewhere and get yourself killed?! Is what you have here not enough for you?"

"What are you even talking about?!"

She scoffed. "You know what? Whatever! You're never gonna get it! Do whatever you want! Forget all about me and go get yourself killed! I don't give a damn!" She turned to leave.

"Hey, Faye, wait!" He grabbed her arm, causing her to stop. "I'm just practicing. What's the big deal?"

She mumbled something that he didn't quite hear.

"What'd you say?"

She exhaled, harshly. She quickly wiped a tear away and looked at him.

He noticed another tear was threatening to fall.

"I said 'I'll bet you wouldn't be practicing if you were with Julia.'"

His mouth fell open a little.

She just sighed and turned away, "Whatever. Look…"

He spun her around, looking her in the eyes. "What did you mean by that?"

Words left her immediately. Answering honestly was out of the question so she couldn't really figure out what to really say. She decided to go for evasive maneuvers. "Spike, I…"

"No!" He knew her evasive maneuvers all too well. "You tell me, right now, what that meant!"

She hated looking into his eyes. They were impossible to look away from unless he broke the gaze. Ever since the night he almost died and he told her about them, she found herself getting lost in that gaze even in her memory. She hated looking at them for another reason: they always got the truth out of her. She could try to resist all she wanted but, after getting her memories back, her defenses faltered and her resistance didn't work like it used to.

This time was no different.

"You loved her…" she began. "You probably still do. You were ready to walk away from everything for her. Everything, Spike. Jet, the ship… me." She paused and looked at the floor. "But… I can't say I blame you. She was… so beautiful. So haunting. I guess you can never forget a girl like that." She stopped again. She wanted to look up at him but couldn't. He was already getting enough of the truth out of her. "Maybe I'm not that kind of girl. Maybe… I'm not the kind of girl who's worth sticking around for." She didn't want to but she braved those eyes one more time and looked at him, "I meant what I said in that hospital, Spike. I still do. But, if that's not enough for you… if _I'm_ not enough for you, you tell me now and we can just drop this. If you can't deal with me… just say so."

He stared at her. He didn't say a word.

She exhaled. She should've known this was too good to be true. "Fine. But I won't stay here. I'll… go pack my stuff. Maybe go back to Earth, find Ed, or…"

She was silenced when he pressed his lips to hers. She hadn't expected it and that gave him full access to her mouth. Faye completely lost her train of thought at the kiss. She really hadn't seen it coming. Made worse because it felt so damn good.

After the kiss, she was breathless. "Damn." She looked at him. "What the hell was that for?"

"You said say something if I wanted to end it. If I _couldn't_ deal with you." He smiled that arrogant, jackass of a smile that made her love him and piss her off at the exact same time. "You didn't tell me what to do if I could deal with you. So… I improvised."

She hated to admit it but she liked how he improvised.

"I can deal with you. I went this long without getting rid of you."

She rolled her eyes, "You never seemed exactly happy to have me along either."

"Well, at first, you irritated me to no end. Afterward, not so much. But I couldn't make it easy for you."

"Jackass…"

"Am I anything else?"

"You are. That's just your most evident quality."

He chuckled. He took a deep breath then sighed, letting his smile fade. "About Julia…"

Faye recoiled. She felt bad about saying all that.

"I did love her. She was a part of me that I lost along the way. And, when she was killed… I honestly thought that I was dead, too."

"You told me that."

"And I told you that I found out I was still alive." He looked at her, "But I didn't tell you how I knew that."

She stunted her breathing a little, hoping for his response to be a good one.

"You took a big risk coming out to me about you feel, Faye. Given our history, I'm sure it wasn't easy."

"Understatement of the year."

"But that was how I knew."

She fell silent as she looked into his eyes. Him telling the truth made it hard not to cry but she managed, somehow.

"I woke up… and there you were. Just like before. Just like every time."

She started to tear up again. Damn his honesty.

"And you admitted it… granted you called me jackass at the same time but… that's what proved to me it was real." He stared at her. "Yeah, we had our issues when we met and a long time after that. But… ever since that night in the hospital, I have not been trying to force you out, Faye. I wouldn't. Truth is… a lot of what I saw in Julia… I see in you. And, before you ask, no, I'm not with you because you remind of her. I'm with you… because I see some of the strength you carry, no matter how much you hide under the type of attitude that gets on my last nerve."

"My attitude, my call."

"Fair enough."

"And I called you 'idiot' when I told you I love you."

"Same thing to me. But… I want you to stay. You are enough, Faye. I wouldn't say 'I love you' just to play with you. I actually do."

He admitted to it, again. She knew good and well those weren't the easiest words for either of them to say so it was always good to hear it. She tried not to because she felt he didn't deserve it but a smirk escaped from her lips. "Fine. So, you love me, you moron."

"Are you still mad?"

She stared at him, indignantly. "Yes."

He held his smirk.

She sighed. "Maybe… maybe not."

He chuckled.

"But why the training?"

He shrugged. "I was bored."

She rolled her eyes. "Are you serious? You risk being put back on the disabled list just because you were bored?"

"What? I needed something to do. I need the exercise. Besides, I think I've recovered enough for some physical activity. Just laying around doing nothing all day is boring."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really?" She looked him up and down. She shrugged then grabbed his wrist and started tugging him along, "Come on."

He was knocked balance a little by her sudden jerking. "What? Why?"

She stopped. "If you're so bored…" She looked at him and put on the sultriest voice she could, "I'm going to give you something to do."

Immediately, Spike's face went red and he had to swallow the lump in his throat.

"I hope your training went well, Mr. Spiegel… because right now… we're going to see just how much… _movement_ your body can handle."

His mouth went dry immediately. He sure hoped he was recovered enough. He had a strong feeling he would need to be in top physical shape, or at least close to it, right now.

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**A/N: Poor Spike... or Lucky Spike? Hard to tell which. Probably lucky. Anyway, I hope you guys liked it! REVIEWS! I LOVE THOSE!  
**


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